A problem is encountered in cellular wireless communications networks in which user equipments receiving downlink signals at locations towards the outer edges of the networks' cells may experience poor carrier signal to interference signal power ratios (C/I). One consequence of this is that it may not be possible to provide the same levels and types of services, particularly broadband data services, to such user equipments than is possible for user equipments located much closer to system signal sources such as base stations. Alternatively, whilst similar services may be delivered to user equipments located in the outer margins of the cells, the service bit rates for such services may have to be considerably reduced which means that the service being provided is delivered at a much slower rate, is delivered without all the normally available features or is at a greater risk of interruption or disconnection.
In a cellular wireless communications network with a packet switched time division multiple access (TDMA) downlink, one solution that has been attempted to overcome the abovementioned problem is a scheduling based solution in which the number of TDMA time slots allotted for transmissions to edge of cell user equipments is increased. Whilst it is intuitive that such a scheduling solution will improve the ability of the network to provide edge of cell user equipments with the levels and types of services available to user equipments closer to base stations, for example, experience indicates that, whilst service coverage over the cells of the network is improved, the capacity of the network for delivering services to all user equipments is substantially reduced.